In general, the present invention relates to a portable radio information terminal and a message-notification method. More particularly, the present invention relates to a portable radio information terminal for confirming that an electric wave received from a radio base station installed at a remote location is a message signal destined for the portable radio information terminal, for notifying the user of the received message signal in the form of sound, light, mechanical vibration or another form to make the user aware of the arrival of the message signal and for displaying a message conveyed in the signal on an embedded screen display unit and, in particular, relates to a portable radio information terminal such as a pager and a message-notification method adopted in the pager.
A portable radio information terminal is a handy and portable apparatus that is capable of functioning as a terminal of a communication network. In recent years, there have been implemented portable radio information terminals with a variety of configurations and functions to meet a rapidly growing demand in a wide range of applications in the field of information communication.
An example of such a portable radio information terminal is a pager which is widely used for carrying out communications of radio signals.
An early pager generates bell sound when a calling signal is received from a radio base station. A radio calling signal is capable of calling the user carrying this pager even if the user is present at a separated place. The radio calling signal is normally used to urge the user to respond to the calling signal by using a wire telephone closest to the user.
By the way, a signal generated by the radio base station is not merely ended with such a calling signal. A signal generated by the radio base station is also capable of conveying information. On the pager side, on the other hand, information conveyed by an incoming signal is decoded and a result of the decoding is stored in a memory unit and displayed on a liquid-crystal display panel as a message. A pager having functions to decode, store and display such information has been developed and widely used at the present time.
Such a pager is provided with a message notifying unit having a function of generating ringing sound of a bell to notify the user of an incoming message or a time set in advance or to give the user a warning indicating the fact that the voltage of the battery has become lower than a predetermined value.
The message notifying unit is activated when a call arrives, a time set in advance is reached or the voltage of the battery becomes lower than a predetermined level and starts to generate ringing sound of the bell. The message notifying unit notifies the user of such an event for a predetermined period of time, then halts the operation to notify the user as the period of time lapses. As an alternative, the message notifying unit halts the operation to notify the user of such an event when the user acknowledges the notification of the arrival of such a call or such an alarm by entering a command to halt the operation while the bell is ringing.
While the ringing sound of a bell used as a message is an effective message notifying means, it is feared that the user can not hear the sound of the bell notifying the incoming message or the calling sound in the event of an incoming call in some cases when the pager is used outdoors or at a trip destination or, in particular, in a noisy environment.
At a place such as a movie theater or a conference hall, on the other hand, there is not much noise. At such a place, however, notifying sound of incoming message or calling sound will be a disturbance to the atmosphere.
In order to solve the problems described above, the message notifying unit is generally designed into a configuration including a vibration function of a vibrator for informing the user of a message by vibration in place of ringing sound of a bell. As an alternative, the message notifying unit is designed into a configuration which allows the user to manually operate an input device to select either ringing sound of a bell or vibration of a vibrator as a message-notification means.
Since the user normally uses a portable radio information terminal by carrying the portable radio information terminal all the time, the portable radio information terminal is required to have a small size and, thus, a small number of components.
In addition, the portable radio information terminal must also allow the user to halt an operation of ringing the bell to indicate reception of an incoming information signal in the event of such a signal by gripping the terminal quickly as well as easily without triggering a malfunction.
In order to satisfy the requirements described above, there has been developed a rotary/press input device comprising a rotary input operation unit and a press switch.
Such a rotary/press input device is put to practical use typically as a jog dial or a rotary encoder. The rotary input operation unit is implemented by a disc-shape knob built into a single assembly with the press switch. The disc-shape knob can be rotated with a high degree of freedom. The press switch generates an intermittent input signal when pressed along with the disc-shape knob.
Two groups of input signals can thus be resulted in with ease when the disc-shape knob is rotated in the clockwise (right) direction or the counterclockwise (left) direction respectively. On the top of that, an intermittent input signal is generated by pressing the disc-shape knob. Thus, the number of switch devices is reduced. As a result, the rotary/press input device can be made small in size and the operatability thereof is improved.
The contemporary portable radio information terminal has a configuration employing a jog dial or a rotary encoder therein, by operating the jog dial or the rotary encoder, it is possible to halt an operation to ring the bell to notify reception of an incoming information signal in the event of such a signal.
By the way, the user normally uses a portable radio information terminal of this type by carrying the portable radio information terminal all the time. More specifically, the user puts the portable radio information terminal in a pocket or a bag or attaches the portable radio information terminal to a belt wound around the belly in many cases.
Thus, when the user gets on or off a train, takes a seat or gets on and off a car, for example, it is quite within the bounds of possibility that an external force is accidentally applied to an operation unit of the rotary/press input device, inadvertently putting the portable radio information terminal into an unexpected state of operation in some cases. If an input signal is generated by such an inadvertent external force, the bell which should naturally generate ringing sound continuously may be put in a halted state, giving rise to a problem that the user is not notified of the incoming call.
It is thus an object of the present invention addressing the problems encountered in a portable radio information terminal having the related-art message-notification configuration described above to provide a portable radio information terminal capable of operating with a high degree of reliability by eliminating the effect of an unexpected external force and to provide a message-notification method for the portable radio information terminal.
According to a message-notification method for a portable radio information terminal of the present invention including a rotary/press input device comprising a rotary operation unit and a press operation unit, and a non-rotary input device, if an input signal generated in the course of a message-notification operation is an input signal determined in advance, that is, if an input signal generated in the course of a message-notification operation is one of three input signals, namely, a rotary input signal generated by the rotary operation unit, an intermittent input signal generated by the press operation unit and a non-rotary input signal generated by the non-rotary input unit as a result of a non-rotary operation carried out on the non-rotary input unit, the message-notification operation is continued and, if an input signal generated in the course of a message-notification operation is neither the rotary input signal, the intermittent input signal nor the non-rotary input signal, the message-notification operation is halted.
Thus, a message-notification operation can be continued or halted depending on whether or not there has been generated an input signal by an input device of the portable radio information terminal wherein any input device can be set arbitrarily as an input device for generating an input signal to halt a message-notification operation or as an input device for generating no input signal to halt a message-notification operation. As a result, the message-notification method provides an effect that, by setting an input device prone to the effect of an inadvertent external force as an input device for generating no input signal to halt a message-notification operation and setting an input device hardly affected by an inadvertent external force as an input device for generating an input signal to halt a message-notification operation, the effect of halting the message-notification operation as a result of an inadvertent external force can be eliminated with ease.
According to a message-notification method for a portable radio information terminal of the present invention, a rotary input signal is used as a predetermined input signal. Thus, the rotary input signal resulting from a rotation of the rotary operation unit employed in the rotary/press input device which is prone to the effect of an inadvertent external force can be ignored in processing to determine whether or not to halt a message-notification operation. As a result, the message-notification method is capable of effectively avoiding a malfunction accidentally halting a message-notification operation by ignoring a rotary input signal in the processing to determine whether or not to halt a message-notification operation in case such a rotary input signal is generated when the rotary operation unit is rotated by inadvertent application of an external force in the course of a message-notification operation.
According to a message-notification method for a portable radio information terminal of the present invention, a rotary input signal generated by a rotary operation unit or an intermittent input signal generated by a press operation unit is used as the predetermined input signal. Thus, the rotary input signal resulting from a rotation of the rotary operation unit or the intermittent input signal resulting from a pressure applied to the press operation unit employed in the rotary/press input device which is prone to the effect of an inadvertent external force can be ignored in processing to determine whether or not to halt a message-notification operation. As a result, the message-notification method is capable of effectively avoiding a malfunction accidentally halting a message-notification operation by ignoring a rotary input signal or an intermittent input signal in the processing to determine whether or not to halt a message-notification operation in case such a rotary input signal or such an intermittent input signal is generated respectively when the rotary operation unit is rotated or when the press operation unit is accidentally pressed by inadvertent application of an external force in the course of a message-notification operation.
In a portable radio information terminal according to the present invention, an input-signal judging means embedded therein at least forms a judgment as to whether or not an input signal generated by an input device in the course of a message-notification operation is the rotary input signal generated by the rotary/press input means, and a message-notification-operation halting means also embedded therein does not halt, but instead continues the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment formed by the input-signal judging means indicates that the input signal generated by the input device is the rotary input signal generated by the rotary/press input means.
Thus, the rotary input signal resulting from a rotation of the rotary operation unit employed in the rotary/press input device which is prone to the effect of an inadvertent external force can be ignored in processing to determine whether or not to halt a message-notification operation. As a result, the portable radio information terminal is capable of effectively avoiding a malfunction of accidentally halting a message-notification operation by ignoring a rotary input signal in the processing to determine whether or not to halt a message-notification operation in case such a rotary input signal is generated when the rotary operation unit is rotated by inadvertent application of an external force in the course of a message-notification operation.
In a portable radio information terminal according to the present invention, the input-signal judging means is used for at least forming a judgment as to whether or not an input signal generated by the input device in the course of a message-notification operation is a rotary input signal generated by the rotary/press input means or an intermittent input signal generated by the press input means, and the message-notification-operation halting means is used for continuing the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment formed by the input-signal judging means indicates that the input signal generated by the input device is the rotary input signal generated by the rotary/press input means or the intermittent input signal generated by the press input means, and for halting the message notifying unit currently carrying out the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment formed by the input-signal judging means indicates that the input signal generated by the input device is neither the rotary input signal generated by the rotary/press input means nor the intermittent input signal generated by the press input means.
Thus, the rotary input signal resulting from a rotation of the rotary operation unit or the intermittent input signal resulting from a pressure applied to the press operation unit employed in the rotary/press input device which is prone to the effect of an inadvertent external force can be ignored in processing to determine whether or not to halt a message-notification operation. As a result, the portable radio information terminal is capable of effectively avoiding a malfunction accidentally halting a message-notification operation by ignoring a rotary input signal or an intermittent input signal in the processing to determine whether or not to halt a message-notification operation in case such a rotary input signal or such an intermittent input signal is generated respectively when the rotary operation unit is rotated or when the press operation unit is accidentally pressed by inadvertent application of an external force in the course of a message-notification operation.
A recording medium according to the present invention records at least two means each as a program that can be fetched and executed by a computer. The two means recorded in the recording medium are an input-signal judging means for at least forming a judgment as to whether or not an input signal generated by an input device in the course of a message-notification operation is an input signal determined in advance, and a message-notification-operation halting means for continuing the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment formed by the input-signal judging means indicates that the input signal generated by the input device is the input signal determined in advance and for halting a message notifying unit currently carrying out the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment formed by the input-signal judging means indicates that the input signal generated by the input device is not the input signal determined in advance.
As a result, by incorporating the recording medium into a portable radio information terminal equipped with CPU (central processing unit), the input device, an image displaying unit and a memory unit for storing messages as a memory for storing operating procedures each executable by the central processing unit and by letting the central processing unit sequentially execute the means each as an operating procedure, it is possible to provide the portable radio information terminal with functions to form a judgment as to whether or not an input signal generated by the input device in the course of a message-notification operation is an input signal determined in advance, and to continue the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment indicates that the input signal generated by the input device is the input signal determined in advance and to halt the message notifying unit currently carrying out the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment indicates that the input signal generated by the input device is not the input signal determined in advance.
A microcomputer according to the present invention has a storage unit for storing at least two means each as a program that can be fetched and executed by a central processing unit of the microcomputer. The two means stored in the storage unit are an input-signal judging means for at least forming a judgment as to whether or not an input signal generated by an input device in the course of a message-notification operation is an input signal determined in advance, and a message-notification-operation halting means for continuing the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment formed by the input-signal judging means indicates that the input signal generated by the input device is the input signal determined in advance and for halting the message notifying unit currently carrying out the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment formed by the input-signal judging means indicates that the input signal generated by the input device is not the input signal determined in advance.
As a result, by using the microcomputer in conjunction with components such as a communication mechanism unit, a memory unit for storing received messages, an input device operated for entering inputs, an image displaying unit for displaying information such as a message and a power-supply circuit, it is possible to implement a portable radio information terminal having a simple configuration for executing functions to form a judgment as to whether or not an input signal generated by the input device in the course of a message-notification operation is an input signal determined in advance, and to continue the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment indicates that the input signal generated by the input device is the input signal determined in advance and to halt the message notifying unit currently carrying out the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment indicates that the input signal generated by the input device is not the input signal determined in advance.
According to the present invention, in an message-notification method provided for a portable radio information terminal, wherein the rotary/press input means comprises a rotary operation unit for generating a rotary input signal and a press operation unit for generating an intermittent input signal, a message-notification operation being carried out currently is halted when at least two of the three input signals, namely, the non-rotary input signal, the rotary input signal and the intermittent input signal, are generated at the same time in the course of the information-notification operation.
As described above, a message-notification operation which has been going on so far is halted, only when at least two of the three input signals are generated at the same time during the operation. Even if a member of the input device is actuated by an inadvertent external force applied accidentally, it is possible that it affects onto another member. When an inadvertent external force actuates two or more members of the input device at the same time, the portable radio information terminal is capable of effectively solving a problem of an external force incorrectly halting a message-notification operation even if a member is affected unexpectedly by the external force.
A portable radio information terminal according to the present invention is provided with at least two means, namely, a simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means for forming a judgment as to whether or not at least two of the three input signals, namely, the non-rotary input signal, the rotary input signal and the intermittent input signal, have been generated at the same time in the course of an information-notification operation, and a message-notification-operation halting means for continuing the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment formed by the simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means indicates that at least two of the three input signals have not been generated at the same time in the course of the information-notification operation and for halting a message notifying unit currently carrying out the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment formed by the simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means indicates that at least two of the three input signals have been generated at the same time in the course of the information-notification operation.
As described above, the simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means allows the message-notification operation not to be halted unless at least two of the three input signals have been generated at the same time in the course of the message-notification operation. Even if a member of the input device is actuated by an inadvertent external force applied accidentally, it is possible that it affects onto another member. When an inadvertent external force actuates two or more members of the input device at the same time, the portable radio information terminal is capable of effectively solving a problem of an external force incorrectly halting a message-notification operation even if a member is affected unexpectedly by the external force, thus obtaining a highly reliable portable radio information terminal without malfunction.
A recording medium according to the present invention is used for recording at least two means each as a program that can be fetched and executed by a computer typically employed in a portable radio information terminal. The two means recorded in the recording medium are a simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means for forming a judgment as to whether or not at least two of the three input signals, namely, the non-rotary input signal, the rotary input signal and the intermittent input signal, have been generated at the same time in the course of an information-notification operation, and a message-notification-operation halting means for continuing the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment formed by the simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means indicates that at least two of the three input signals have not been generated at the same time in the course of the information-notification operation and for halting a message notifying unit currently carrying out the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment formed by the simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means indicates that at least two of the three input signals have been generated at the same time in the course of the information-notification operation.
As a result, by incorporating the recording medium into a portable radio information terminal equipped with the input device, a central processing unit, an image displaying unit and a memory for storing messages as a memory for storing operating procedures each executable by the central processing unit and by letting the central processing unit sequentially execute the means each as an operating procedure, it is possible to provide the portable radio information terminal with functions to form a judgment as to whether or not at least two of the three input signals, namely, the non-rotary input signal, the rotary input signal and the intermittent input signal, have been generated at the same time in the course of an information-notification operation, and to continue the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment indicates that at least two of the three input signals have not been generated at the same time in the course of the information-notification operation and to halt a message notifying unit currently carrying out the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment indicates that at least two of the three input signals have been generated at the same time in the course of the information-notification operation.
Provided with an embedded central processing unit and an embedded storage unit for storing procedures as programs which can each be fetched and executed by a central processing unit, a microcomputer according to the present invention typically employed in a portable radio information terminal provided with the programs stored in the storage unit at least includes two means, namely, a simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means for forming a judgment as to whether or not at least two of the three input signals, namely, the non-rotary input signal, the rotary input signal and the intermittent input signal, have been generated at the same time in the course of an information-notification operation, and a message-notification-operation halting means for continuing the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment formed by the simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means indicates that at least two of the three input signals have not been generated at the same time in the course of the information-notification operation and for halting the message notifying unit currently carrying out the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment formed by the simultaneous-multiple-inputs judging means indicates that at least two of the three input signals have been generated at the same time in the course of the information-notification operation.
Thus, by incorporating the microcomputer in a portable radio information terminal along with components such as a communication mechanism unit, a memory unit for storing received messages, the input device including the rotary/press input device, an image displaying unit for displaying information such as a message and a power-supply circuit, it is possible to implement the portable radio information terminal with a simple configuration for sequentially executing functions by the central processing unit to form a judgment as to whether or not at least two of the three input signals, namely, the non-rotary input signal, the rotary input signal and the intermittent input signal, have been generated at the same time in the course of an information-notification operation, and to continue the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment indicates that at least two of the three input signals have not been generated at the same time in the course of the information-notification operation and to halt a message notifying unit currently carrying out the message-notification operation if a result of the judgment indicates that at least two of the three input signals have been generated at the same time in the course of the information-notification operation.